ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
    September 5, 1974
    )
    TEXACO, INC.
    )
    )
    v.
    )
    PCB 74-134
    )
    )
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
    )
    )
    OPINION AND ORDER OP THE BOARD (by Mr. Dumelle):
    Petitioner requests a variance from Rules 203(d) (1)
    (particulates) and 206(c) (Carbon Monoxide) as applied to its
    Lockport Refinery. A hearing was held on June 28, 1974.
    Texaco operates a petroleum .refinery immediately adjacent
    to the City of Lockport in Will County, Illinois, which manufactures
    motor gasolines, aviation fuels, diesel and heating oil, and
    heavy fuel oil, utilizing approximately 72000 barrels of crude
    oil per calendar day. The refined products are distributed in
    the northern portion of Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa,
    Minnesota and other states. About 800 persons are employed at
    the refinery (Variance Petition, pp. 1 and 2).
    The source of the CO and particulate emissions is a Fluid
    Catalytic Cracking Unit which is a facility for converting high
    boiling-range gas oils into gasolines, furnace oil and fuel
    oil components and by-product gases (Variance Petition, p. 2).
    A Catalyst Regenerator is used to bun off carbon deposits
    from the catalyst material and it is this process which is the
    source of the emissions (Variance Petition, p. 3).
    Rule 203(d)(l) limits particulate emissions for this unit
    to 81 lbs. per hour. Present emissions are 166 lbs. per hour.
    Rule 206(c) limits the CO emissions to 200 ppm. Presently it
    is 110,000 ppm (Variance Petition, p. 4).
    Texaco has contracted with Bechtel, Inc. of San Francisco,
    California to design and construct facilities to bring the FCCU
    Regenerator into compliance with the Board’s rules. When completed,
    emissions will be practically zero CO and 25 lbs. per hour of
    particulates. The facilities are to consist of two CO boilers and
    two electrostatic precipitators (Variance Petition, p. 4) costing
    approximately $6,110,000 (Variance Petition, p. 5).
    13—501
    T e Bechtel contract was awarded on January 2C, l9~2
    ( 10 and Ex 1), The Environmental Protection Agency (Agency)
    construction permit was applied for on June 23, 1972 and was
    received on September 19 1972. Fielu construction was startec
    on Novembe” 28, 1972 with a completron date
    set
    at December 20,
    1973 (R 10 and 11) in October, 1973 it became apparent that
    the contractor would not meet his completion date The main
    reason was a shox~tageof skilled craftsm9n (R, 18) and delay
    in deliveries, Completior dates were successively pushed back
    to January 31, 1974 March 13, 1974, and finally, July 5, 1974
    (R 18 19, 20) In addition, abou~t three months are required
    for adjustments and other preparations after completion of
    construction (R, 41).
    ~estimonv las oeen given that closing down the FCCU for
    nor~comp1iancewould deprive the area of 700,000 gal, of gasoline
    daily and could result in laying off about 600 people employed
    by the refinery (R 48, 49) The Board has stated many times that
    a variance denial is not a shutdown order and doe~not accept this
    argumer t
    Petitioner cites a study made by Air Resources, Inc. showing
    that the air quality at the refinery is better than the standards
    set by the Board in Rule 307 (Petition 9).
    We concur with the Agency that Petitioner has been conscIentious
    in attemptrng to bring this source into compliance; that the
    continued operation of the facility will have no great effect on
    ambient air quality and in view of the foregoing the variance
    be granted, No bond is required by the Board because of the
    imminent completion of this massive abatement program.
    This Opinion constitutes the Board s findings of facts and
    conc1us~onsof law,
    ORDER
    It is the Order of the Board that:
    Petitioner be granted a variance from Rule 203(d) (1)
    and Rule 206(c) of the Illinois Pollution Control Board
    until October 1, 1974,
    IT IS SO ORDERED,
    I, Christan L~Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
    Boar~1,hereby certify the above Opinion and
    OrdeT were adopted on the
    ~ ~day of September, 1974 by a vote of
    ~
    13 —502

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